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Malaysia has rejected a claim by Bangladesh’s State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam that the country plans to recruit 200,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next six months, saying the statement does not represent the Malaysian government’s official position.
Malaysian government spokesperson Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil made the remarks on Wednesday, according to local news outlet NST.
On Sunday, State Minister Mir Shah Alam said in Dhaka that Malaysia would begin recruiting 200,000 workers from Bangladesh by the end of September.
He said the workers would be sent to Malaysia through registered companies, while another 10,000 workers would be sent at no cost. The process, he said, would be completed within six months.
However, Fahmi said on Wednesday that the minister’s statement should not be considered an official announcement by the Bangladesh government.
He said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramli had informed him that the statement was made by a state minister and should not be treated as an official decision of the Bangladesh government.
“This does not represent any official decision of the Bangladesh government. The Human Resources Minister informed me of this. Therefore, it is not an official position,” Fahmi said.
In June, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urged Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider reopening Malaysia’s labour market to Bangladeshi workers.
Malaysia has barred the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers since 2024 following allegations of exploitation, including debt bondage, forced labour and workers being denied jobs they had been promised.
